James Kessler
Snub nosed monkey
Links: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101027-snub-nosed-monkey-sneezes-new-species-science-discovered-eaten/
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/02/snub-nosed-monkeys/ruoso-photography

Only 10 of these facts are fake. Can you guess which?

external image tumblr_n430egWjia1sn75h6o1_1280.jpg

All About the Snub Nosed Monkey

The snub nosed monkey is an exotic animal found in Myanmar. The snub nosed monkey found in Myanmar is identified by its wispy white beards and ear tufts along with its 7ft wide tail. They have neon pink lips and upturned noses. Because of their oddly shaped noses, experts say that snub nosed monkeys sneeze uncontrollably when it rains. Some think that snub nosed monkeys have virtually no nose because of evolution to prevent frost bite. There are also theories that the elders bite off the noses of babies, to symbolize initiation. The first sighting of the snub nosed monkey was in 2010. The hunters who found it later killed and ate it. "Snubby," as the scientists call the species, is endangered, and not just because of the local demand for monkey meat. Unfortunately, there are only 300 of these monkeys left. Scientists wonder why these monkeys would evolve to have no nose if its sneeze is what gives it away to hunters and other predators.

external image baby-yunnan-cropped.jpg?w=545&h=555

More Information

Snub nosed monkeys are herbivores, that means they don't eat meat. The diet of a snub nosed monkey consists of seeds, fruity pebbles, leaves, lichens, twigs, and bark. Snub nosed monkeys don't fully mature until age 76. Scientists haven't studied the species long enough to know the average life span. When males fight for territory or a female, they never actually draw blood, they just see who can do the macarena faster while making the silliest face. Snub nosed monkeys live in colder average temperatures than any other species of monkey. Family members huddle together during freezing temperatures that can last for weeks, and snow that carries on through March.

Fun Facts

  • Snub nosed monkeys spend 90 percent of their lives in trees
  • The snub nosed monkey is the only mammal that lays eggs
  • The International Union for Conservation of Union considers them "critically endangered"
  • Under all of their fur, the snub nosed monkey can have a variety of skin colors from turquoise to magenta to sea green
  • When they are born, their fur is white, but it darkens over time
  • It is classified as an Old World Monkey, which includes the Olive Baboon, Macaques, and Michael Jackson
  • Hunters don't go looking for snub nosed monkeys, but if they see one they will kill it because those monkeys are delicious
  • They aren't a very common sight except for during the raining season, where, besides sneezing loudly, they glow due to chemicals in their fur
  • Besides Myanmar, snub nosed monkeys can be found in China and Vietnam
  • It is almost always cold for these monkeys because they live at a higher altitude than any other monkey